CALLUM Brooks is unsure how his Hamworthy United side will stack up against the big hitters in Sydenhams Wessex Premier, writes JACK TANNER.
Boss Brooks is tomorrow set to oversee his first competitive game in charge when Hammers travel to Cowes Sports (3pm).
And the former Poole Town assistant is not making any bold predictions about the new campaign before seeing rivals in action.
Brooks told the Daily Echo: “We’ve put in some good performances in pre-season. The results have been good but I’m more fussed about performances.
“However, I haven’t worked in this league for a few years, so I don’t know where this team stands in comparison to others.
“I’ve been unable to see first-hand what other sides are like but I think we’ll win more than we’ll lose.
“I imagine we’ve got a better group than some, because we look in very good shape.
“You hear the rumours about the spending levels of Horndean, Lymington, Baffins and Portchester and where we stand against them, I’m not sure.
“Games will come thick and fast at the start of the season and it’s about getting into a habit of winning games early.”
Former Wimborne Town defender Nathaniel Peprah-Annan is the latest player to join Brooks’s County Ground project.
And Brooks predicts he will have to rely on his whole squad this season.
He said: “We have around 21 signed on but I’ll be missing four or five for the first few games.
“I’ve got four players away for the opener. We’ll be without Sam Bayston, Adam Costello, Dan Cann and Eder Batista and some of those make up the spine of our side.”
Hammers: (from) Rees, D Randall, B Randall, Watkins, Wright, Senior, Gleeson, Smith, Davis, Hodge, Watts, Rowe, Peprah-Annan, Filkins, Cooper, Nicholson.
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